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COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



MAKING A 
WATER GARDEN 



THE 

HOUSE cS- GARDEN 

MAKING 

BOOKS 

IT is the intention of the publishers to make 
this series of little volumes, of which Making 
a Water Garden is one, a complete library of 
authoritative and well illustrated handbooks deal- 
ing with the activities of the home-maker and 
amateur gardener. Text, pictures and diagrams 
will, in each respective book, aim to make perfectly 
clear the possibihty of having, and the means of 
having, some of the more important features of 
a modern country or suburban home. Among the 
titles already issued or planned for early pub- 
lication are the following: Making a Rose Gar- 
den; Making a Laion; Making a Tennis Court; 
Making a Fireplace; Making Paths and Drive- 
ways; Making a Poultry House; Making a Gar- 
den with Hotbed and Coldframe; Making Built- 
in Furniture; Making a Rock Garden; Making a 
Garden to Bloom this Year; Making a Garden 
of Perennials; Making the Grounds Attractive 
with Shrubbery ; Making a Bulb Garden, Making 
a Garage, Making and Furnishing Outdoor Rooms 
and Porches; with others to be announced later. 



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in 2010 with funding from 
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Making a 
Water Garden 

By WILLIAM TRICKER 



AUTHOR OF 
THE WATER GARDEN 




NEW YORK 

McBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY 
1913 






Copyright, 1913, by 
McBride, Nast & Co. 



Published, January, 1913 



/ 



xTO 



©CI.A343i3 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Species and Varieties of W^ter 

Lilies 1 



Conditions for Growing Water Lil- 
ies 10 

Hardy Plants for the Water Gar- 
den 22 

The Selection of a Site . . . . S7 

Planting and Care . . ., .. . 41 

WlNTBRING ........ 45 



THE ILLUSTRATIONS 

An Effective Small Pool of Hardy 
Water Lilies, Rushes and Grasses 

Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

A Good Example of Natural Plant- 
ing AT Bronx Botanical Garden, 
New York 6 

A Concrete Pool Well Set in a For- 
mal Garden 14 

Limnocharis Humboldti, Water Poppy. 24 

Ni/mphcea marliacea rosea .... 24 

Victoria Trickeri Combined with Ten- 
der OR Tropical Nymph^eas and 
Victorias 28 

NympJicea odorata, Eugenia de Land . 34 

Nelumhium roseum plenum .... 34 

Eichhornia crassipes major. Water 

Hyacinth 40 

Nymphcea, Mrs. C. W. Ward ... 48 



Making a Water Garden 

SPECIES AND VARIETIES OF 
WATER LILIES 

\ WATER garden may be of large di- 
mensions covering many acres of 
natural ponds, bogs and swamps, where 
water lilies, Egyptian and Japanese 
lotus, bloom together with all the varied 
species of bog and aquatic plants both 
native and exotic. Such a garden can 
only be constructed and maintained at 
a great cost and only a few of our large 
public parks and gardens make the effort, 
but are content with a smaller work and 
a display of the various water lilies in 
artificial ponds. These, however, are so 



2 Making a Water Garden 
attractive that almost everyone has the 
desire to produce such charming effects 
in his own garden. Hence the average 
water garden is of moderate dimensions 
and in many instances consists only of a 
few tubs. 

Water lilies are universally known as 
they are indigenous to all sections of the 
globe, the temperate and tropical sec- 
tions each claiming its own distinctive 
species. The native water lilies of the 
United States, with the exception of the 
southern, are white and of these there 
are many distinct varieties, usually found 
in large ponds and margins of lakes — 
only one form in a single pond or locality 
however. 

In Europe, or through the temper- 
ate zone, the majority of species are very 



Varieties of Water Lilies 3 
similar, most of them being white. One 
notable exception is the Swedish pink lily. 
These, while similar in color of flower and 
leaf, differ much in root or rhizome. 
The American is of a running or rambling 
nature with many tubers in some in- 
stances, and of a soft or spongy texture ; 
the European has a solid rhizome with 
few side shoots, no tubers and produces 
flowers from a more compact crown. 
These and the many hybrids are classed 
as hardy. 

The water lilies of the southern states 
and South America are yellow and white. 

With the yellow Mexican lily and the 
Swedish pink lily the hybridization has 
given to the world many beautiful flowers 
blending pink and yellow. In many flow- 
ers the color is more intensified and we 



4 Making a Water Garden 
have flowers ranging from pink to car- 
mine and rosy crimson and bright gar- 
net, while on the other hand we have 
pure yellow and yellow with pink and 
red shading to orange red. These too 
are all perfectly hardy, but as they 
all grow in water from two to four or 
more feet deep they are below the freez- 
ing line. I would not say they are frost 
proof. I have known ponds where by 
some accident or otherwise the water has 
been drawn off, and the roots were frozen 
and killed. I would advise that the valu- 
able hybrids be not exposed to freezing 
conditions. The exception in this case is 
the hardy water lily, Ni^mpJicea pygmosa. 
This I understand is hardy in Siberia 
and I have known roots of this to be 
frozen and live. 



Varieties of Water Lilies 5 
The Swedish lily, 2V. Caspary or alha- 
rosea, is a cold-water lily and will not 
endure our hot summers ; but another ex- 
ception, this species is quite at home in 
one or two places in northern New York 
State where the water is cold in sum- 
mer. Another peculiarity; our eastern 
lilies will not thrive or continue any 
length of time in the southern states; 
they require a winter's rest. 

The Indian water lilies flower only at 
night for they cannot endure our noon-* 
day sun. The flowers open at sunset 
and close early next day if it is bright. 
Most of these lilies are red and white but 
here again through the hybridist's art 
the range of color is greatly extended and 
we have flowers from a soft pink to deep 
red and maroon to bright crimson. 



6 Making a Water Garden 

The African species are mostly blue as 
are the Australian and those from Zanzi- 
bar. These are day-blooming and a val- 
uable class of water lilies. They are of 
eas}^ culture, very free flowering and use- 
ful for cut flowers and very fragrant. 
The Zanzibar lily has red in its compo- 
sition and seedlings are sometimes red. 
These are beautiful flowers and with the 
Mexican white, N. gracilis, the only white 
day-flowering species (in cultivation or 
worth cultivating) we have three colors 
not met with in the other classes — a red, 
white and blue. These are known as ten- 
der varieties but are wintered indoors in 
a dormant condition. With trifling care 
there is no reason why this large collec- 
tion of water lilies from all parts of the 
world may not be grown in part, if not all 



Varieties of Water Lilies 7 
of them, out of doors in summer in all sec- 
tions of the United States. 

The early varieties of the hardy 
nymphagas commence flowering in April 
and continue until midsummer. The 
tender varieties commence flowering in 
June and continue until frost, making a 
long and continuous season unequaled by 
any other class. 

Water lilies as cut flowers are valuable 
for decorative purposes especially the 
tender varieties. All water lilies of the 
temperate zone with one or two excep- 
tions have floating flowers; that is, they 
rest or float on the surface of the water. 
These are beautiful flowers for shallow 
dishes or bowls. The many varieties of 
Nelumhium or lotus, though classed as 
hardy aquatic plants, are in a class by 



8 Making a Water Garden 
themselves. These produce flowers on 
tall stems four or more feet high and are 
amongst the choicest of aquatic plants 
and are worthy of culture for cut flowers. 
Ancient history has much to say of the 
sacred lotus flowers and the flowers are 
held in the highest esteem by people of 
the Orient. Still more remarkable are 
the water lilies of Africa. With the 
many new hybrids, flowers are produced 
on stout stems eighteen to twenty-four 
inches high, standing clear of the water, 
strong and rigid. These are best 
adapted for vases and different usages. 
The Indian varieties are equally if not 
more serviceable as they open their flow- 
ers at night and remain open until nearly 
noon the following day. What is more, 
the beauty of the flowers seems to be en- 



Varieties of Water Lilies 9 
hanced by artificial light whereas the 
African, being day bloomers, close at 
night, besides blue flowers are not good 
colors under artificial light. 



CONDITIONS FOR GROWING 
WATER LILIES 

"lyi TATER lilies grow naturally in 
ponds, usually in low ground where 
the washing of fine soil, silt and humus 
accumulates what may be considered rich 
soil and plenty of it. Most ponds to hold 
water must have a stiff, retentive clayey 
bottom or subsoil. From this we may in- 
fer that under artificial conditions a rich 
soil is imperative for the plants to grow 
in. On this point many failures may be 
recorded. I have seen many plants 
starved to death in artificial ponds, 
where, had the plants had ample root 
room they would have been a grand suc- 
cess. The best kind of soil is a loamy 
10 



Growing Water Lilies ii 
sod composted with cow manure. What 
would be considered good soil is good for 
water lilies ; if such is not at hand use the 
next best to be procured. Do not use 
fresh manure; it will cause fermentation. 
Peat or leaf-mold — except with heavy 
soil or even mud from an old pond — is 
not desirable either. Soil that is inclined 
to be heavy and rich in humus is the 
proper kind to use. For fertilizer, well 
rotted cow manure gives best results and 
where such manure is not at hand the 
commercial sheep and cow manure may be 
used, but not as freely as the other — 
say one part to four; the other, one to 
three. 

As to the quantity of soil for a single 
plant, I should recommend four to ten 
cubic feet. The hardy varieties are not 



12 Making a Water Garden 
as vigorous as the tender varieties and for 
one plant of tender kinds I should 
use a box about 3x4x1 feet — a trifle 
smaller if surface space is limited. 
Where a specimen plant can be grown it 
will easily cover one hundred square feet, 
but smaller plants in smaller boxes give 
excellent results for general purposes. 

The hardy nymphaeas may be planted 
in April, provided the season is not late. 
The season should be a little advanced 
so as to assure immediate growth, other- 
wise mutilated roots are liable to decay, 
but they may be planted any time during 
the growing season until August. It is 
not safe to plant nelumbiums before May 
and if the season is cold and late do not 
plant before the 15th of May. If for 
any purpose planting be deferred later, 



Growing Water Lilies 13 
use pot grown plants which may be set 
out in June and July. 

The hardy nymphaeas may be planted 
from the middle of May to the middle of 
June, according to locality and condi- 
tion of the season. In the neighborhood 
of New York the end of May is about 
right; with Victorias the end of June in 
unheated ponds. 

One great mistake made by the amateur 
is in attempting to grow too many plants 
in a small pond or pool. The plants us- 
ually at planting time are small, very 
small to some people's ideas, but all the 
tender nymphaeas are tropical and few 
realize what tropical vegetation is. The 
plants should have ample root space and 
abundance of rich soil and where there 
is sufficient space for leaf development 



14 Making a Water Garden 
the box for soil should be of correspond- 
ing size or space. Thus a tender 
nymphsea that will cover from 50 to 75 
square feet of water surface requires 
from 9 to 10 cubic feet of rich loamy soil 
and a box S'xS'xl' will suffice for one 
plant. Anything smaller than this 
means a smaller plant and smaller flowers. 

Have boxes, tubs or other receptacles 
filled with soil, surfaced with sand, fine or 
coarse, and water about four or six inches 
over the top of the box and warmed by 
action of sun a few days previous to 
planting. Have everything in readiness 
to facilitate planting when plants are 
ready. 

For the amateur who has but a small 
garden and wants to start a water gar- 
den, a few tubs make a very satisfactory 



Growing Water Lilies 15 
beginning. Select a sunny spot and if 
possible have something for a back- 
ground, tall plants or shrubs. Place the 
tubs in two rows, three in back and two 
in front, intercepting each other. Fill 
the tubs two-thirds full of good soil as 
before recommended, covering with sand 
and filling with water. The tubs should 
be sunken in the ground and the space 
between tubs planted with some moisture 
loving plants such as parrot's feather 
and a few cyperus alternifolius in the 
rear. The middle tub in back row may 
be planted with a nelumbium, being tall, 
and the rest with nymphaeas. Suitable 
plants for tubs and small basins will be 
found on page 22. A concrete basin 
will be found more durable and not ex- 
pensive and preferable to tubs, and can 



1 6 Making a Water Garden 

be made any size to suit requirements. 

Select a spot as advised for tubs, either 
oval, circular or oblong, excavate to 
about S8 inches. In some cases the soil 
taken out can be used to build up around 
the spot. Make the sides smooth, 
slightly slanting outward. Make a form 
in one piece or sections and firmly secure 
around the sides, leaving a space not less 
than four inches for concrete, the latter 
to be reinforced with strong chicken wire 
or other wire netting or iron lathing. 
Arrange the netting in place so as to be 
in the middle of the wall. 

The concrete should consist of the fol- 
lowing ingredients and proportion: — 

2 bags Portland cement 

3 barrows of sand 



Growing Water Lilies 17 
5 barrows of gravel or finely 
broken stone. 

This work may be done by ordinary 
help or a local man accustomed to laying 
concrete walks and such work. Tanks, 
basins, etc., may be made any size but 
larger tanks should have a six or eight 
inch wall and be reinforced with the usual 
steel bars and rods as now used in con- 
crete buildings. These are, when rightly 
built, water tight and frost proof and 
may be kept full of water in winter. 
The small basins as previously recom- 
mended, with walls but four inches thick, 
should be protected in winter. 

Water lilies are sun-loving plants and 
should be fully exposed, though trees, 
shrubbery, etc., are desirable as a break 



1 8 Making a Water Garden 
against the prevailing winds, but these 
should cast no shadow on the pond or 
plants. Fountain basins may be planted 
with aquatic plants but they cannot be 
successfully grown with a fountain con- 
tinually spouting. Where the water ef- 
fect is desired omit the plants. It is un- 
necessary to change the water in the 
tubs, pools, or basins. Keep filled up as 
the water evaporates and do not allow a 
continuous stream to run with the idea of 
cleaning the water. Avoid a pond hav- 
ing a cold spring in it unless it is large 
enough to allow planting a distance from 
the spring. Water from a spring open 
to the action of the sun and air may be 
utilized for supplying or feeding ponds. 
What is called stagnant water is good 
for aquatic plants. The plants will 



Growing Water Lilies 19 
oxygenate the water and change an un- 
sightly pool to a beauty spot. 

Algae will form more or less in all 
ponds and artificial pools but this is read- 
ily cleaned by using sulphate of copper 
(blue stone) in a bag placed in the water 
for a short time. Any solution of cop- 
per will have the same effect. In all cases 
where aquatic plants are grown, be 
sure to have gold fish in the water. This 
not only adds to the attraction of the 
pool but is the best means to eradicate 
the mosquito. 

Alg^e. a word of caution is advis- 
able here. Sulphate of copper will 
cleanse water of algse, but if too strong 
will kill young fish as well. Placed in the 
water in a common bag it soon dissolves 
and permeates the whole pond and little 



20 Making a Water Garden 
effect is seen on the plants. If, however, 
it is dissolved in water and sprayed on 
the plants with ever so fine a spray it will 
ruin them. Bordeaux mixture will also 
kill algae but the lime will leave a white- 
wash effect on the plants which is not de- 
sirable. Caustic lye will have the same 
effect as the lime or the sulphate of 
copper, and the potash is beneficial as a 
fertilizer. Dissolve the sulphate of cop- 
per in a pail and the lye in another, then 
mix the two, adding water twenty-five 
parts. This solution will leave a dull 
sooty sediment on the leaves not objec- 
tionable and not injurious to the plants. 
Another form is copper carbon, a fine 
powder that may be distributed with a 
powder gun where only a few tubs are oc- 
cupied or there is a small pond. Another 



Growing Water Lilies 21 
solution and perhaps the most accommo- 
dating for most purposes, used with the 
least trouble and probably with the best 
results, is an ammoniacal solution of cop- 
per. This can be bought in seed stores 
by the quart or larger quantities, with 
printed instructions for using, but these 
must not be followed closely. Dilute 
£5% more water, making the water the 
color of light bluing water. In this case 
there is the danger from the ammonia 
burning the leaves of the plants. Use 
the solution weak and repeat if necessary 
and the best results will be obtained and 
an amount of vexatious labor saved. 



HARDY PLANTS FOR THE WATER 
GARDEN 

ri^HE following hardy nymphasas are 
best suited for tub culture, fountain 
basins and small pools. 

N. Graziella — yellow changing to 

orange red 
j^. Laydeheri rosea — dolicate rose 

pink to carmine 
N. Laydekeri lilacea — rosy lilac 
N. LaydeJceri purpurata — rosy 

crimson 
N. Aurora — soft rosy yellow 

changing to deep red 
N, fulva — yellow shaded pink to 

orange red 



Plants for the Water Garden 23 

N. yygmaea — pure white 

N, pygmaea var. Tielvola — yellow 

Nelumbiums in variety and all 

tender day-blooming nymphaeas 

For large ponds any other variety may 
be used but avoid planting the AT. tu- 
berosa forms among the European va- 
rieties as the former are very strong 
growers and will smother the moderate 
growers. 

Besides the nymphaeas best adapted 
for tubs some beautiful and ornamental 
specimens can be had by using the papy- 
rus for a center plant or plants 
with Cyperus alternifolius interspersing. 
These grow about three feet high, about 
half the height of the papyrus, covering 
the lower part of the tall stalks of papy- 



24 Making a Water Garden 
rus. With parrot's feather planted in 
the tub there is a resultant covering at 
once very pleasing and graceful. 

The following list gives miscellaneous 
aquatic plants: — 

Acorus Calamus variegatus 
Aponogeton distachyum 
Cyperus alternifolius 
C. papyrus 
Jussiena longifolia 
LimnantJiemum (Water snowflake) 
Limmocharis (Water poppy) 
Myrlophyllum proserpinacoides 

Parrot's feather) 
Sagittaria in variety. 

Other plants are very ornamental and 
desirable for tubs. The pickerel weed, 
Pontederia cordata, growing about two 
and a half feet high, has beautiful dark 




Limnocharis Humboldti, water poppy, has 
brilliant yellow flowers as large as its leaves 
and is very free growing, flowering continuously 
all summer 




Xi/mphcca marliacea rosea is one of the best 
of this group, but iV. m. albida, white; N. m. 
Carnee, pink; N. m. chromatella, yellow; N. m. 
rosea, rose pink; are all similar in growth 



Plants for the Water Garden 25 
green glossy foliage surmounted with 
deep blue flowers. A few plants of the 
calamus are also attractive. Even our 
native cat-tall, Typlia latifolia, and wild 
rice, Zizania aquatica, and Lythrum 
roseum, loose strife (a beautiful plant 
4 to 6 feet high producing large spikes of 
deep rose colored flowers in abundance), 
are well adapted for tub culture and 
should not be omitted from the water 
garden large or small. Sagittarias, the 
arrowheads, both single and double, de- 
serve a place in every collection, but the 
calamus, sweet flag, and its variegated 
companion are indispensable. These as 
centerpieces for tubs with Limnanthe- 
mums and water hyacinths, water pop- 
pies, and parrot's feather, make an inter- 
esting adjunct to the miniature water 
garden and are indispensable in a large 



26 Making a Water Garden 
or moderate sized pond. Many other 
beautiful plants are associated with 
aquatics and are only seen in their best 
form growing in wet or moist ground. 
The giant reedj Arundo donax and A. 
donax variegata, Eulalia in variety, 
Asclepias incarnata. Hibiscus MoscJieu- 
tos, swamp rose mallow, with its popular 
hybrids of many shades of color from 
white to pink, rose red and deep crimson, 
i — Lobelia cardinalis, L» syphilitica, Se- 
necio livorum with gorgeous orange-yel- 
low flowers, Thalictrum in variety, not 
omitting the early flowering Caltha pa- 
lustris, the marsh marigold and Myosotis 
palustris, the water forget-me-not, should 
be ranked as available for water gar- 
dens. 

Victoria regia has long been known as 



Plants for the Water Garden 27 
an aquatic wonder. Novelty does not de- 
scribe it. It is wonderful in size, wonder- 
ful in construction, wonderful in growth, 
a plant attaining leaves of wondrous pro- 
portion in about four months from seed 
sowing. This plant as grown is but an 
annual. Its leaves are five to six feet in 
diameter with a turned up rim of five or 
more inches. Then again, the under side 
of the leaves, stalk and flower bud is 
thicMy set with sharp spines. Victoria 
Trickeri (F. Cruziana) of more recent in- 
troduction, has many characteristics of V. 
Regia but is by far the best to grow and 
can be grown under similar conditions as 
the tender nymphaeas. 

For a miniature water garden where 
only two or three tubs can be utilized, 
the Chinese pigTiiy water lily, Nymphwa 



28 Making a Water Garden 
tetragona and its hybrids, N, Helvola and 
N. Laydekeri rosea, are exquisitely choice 
and dainty. IV. tetragona is a rapid 
growth with beautiful dark green foliage, 
and pure white flowers two inches across, 
probably the smallest water lily in exist- 
ence. N. Helvola has a yellow flower 
very similar to the preceding variety but 
with beautifully mottled foliage. jV. 
Laydekeri rosea, is another hybrid of N. 
tetragona, one of the earliest introduc- 
tions, now very scarce and almost lost to 
cultivation. The flowers when first open- 
ing are a delicate pink with deep golden 
center; the second day are many shades 
deeper and the third day a deep rose pink. 
As the plant is very free flowering and 
usually there are flowers of different 
ages open the same day, it presents a 



Plants for the Water Garden 29 
novel appearance. To these may be 
added a blue variety (not hardy) N, 
Daubiniana, which produces miniature 
blue flowers at a very early stage and can 
be grown in a tub or half barrel. The 
above four varieties, white, yellow, pink 
and blue, form a unique set and are most 
desirable for tubs or a Japanese garden. 

Water lilies especially adapted for me- 
dium sized ponds, natural or artificial are 
as follows: — 

White. — NympJioea alba candidissima 
and N, Marliacce albida are two of the 
best white varieties and hybrids of the 
white European species. They differ 
greatly from the American species, N, 
Odorata and N. tuherosa. They are com- 
pact in growth and not given to ramble 
or possess the whole pond. 



30 Making a Water Garden 

Yellow. — Nymp}i(sa marliacca chro- 
matella is still the best of the pure yel- 
low water lilies for most purposes. N. 
odorata sulpTiwrea is a good yellow lily 
but is of a straggling growth. 

Yellow and Red. — N. Paul Hariot 
stands foremost, a grand and magnificent 
flower of the largest size. It is clear 
yellow with delicate shadings of red at 
the base of petals, deepening in color 
succeeding days, N, Rohinsoni is very 
distinctive both in form and color; petals 
broad at base, of a rich yellow deepening 
red toward the center; the stamens are 
rich orange red. One of the best of the 
yellow-red, flowering, hardy, day-bloom- 
ing group. 

Pink and Red. — N, Marliacea rosea is 
the best of the pink varieties resembling 



Plants for the Water Garden 31 
other Marliacea in form, size and habit 
of growth. Flowers large; deep rose- 
pink in color. N. William Doogue is an- 
other choice pink water lily; flowers 
large, beautiful cup-shaped and of a deli- 
cate shell-pink color. N, Gloriosa is a 
nymphaea unsurpassed in its exquisite 
and unique color and chaste finish; flow- 
ers large, of a deep carmine rose. A^. 
James Brydon, a superb variety repre- 
sents the highest achievement of the 
American hybridist art. The flowers are 
uniformly large and of perfect form and 
finish and a rich rosy-crimson color. 
N. Wm. Falconer, another American hy- 
rid; the most brilliant dark red hardy 
water lily in cultivation; of an intense 
bright garnet color. N, Arethusa. A 
counterpart of N, James Brydon, except 



32 Making a Water Garden 
in color, which is a brilliant crimson pink. 
The four last varieties are of American 
origin and are unsurpassed by any Euro- 
pean variety. 

The above twelve are the choicest va- 
rieties of hybrid hardy nymphaeas em- 
bracing the largest flowers, the most dis- 
tinct colors, vigorous growth, free flower- 
ing, none of which produces seed. 

The following twelve nymphaeas are 
best adapted for large ponds or lakes 
and should be planted in large clumps 
and in some instances only two or three 
clumps in a pond. The difference be- 
tween these and the preceding twelve is 
that these plants have spreading roots 
requiring more space, and produce seed, 
which when ripe spreads over the whole 
pond and the following season the strong- 



Plants for the Water Garden 33 
est varieties usually possess the whole 
area. The prevailing colors are white 
and pink. 

Nymphoea odorata — The common 
sweet scented water lily of the eastern 
states. White. Very desirable. 

N. odorata gigantia — Large white 
pond-lily of mid-Atlantic states. Large 
and good but lacking in fragrance to N, 
Odorata. White. 

N. odorata Luciana — A pure pink 
water lily, larger and stronger grower 
than A^. Odorata rosea. The Cape Cod 
pink lily. Exquisitely fragrant. 

N, odorata W. B. Shaw — A large rose 
flower, a strong grower, and where there 
is ample space produces an abundance of 
large flowers valuable for cutting pur- 
poses. 



34 Making a Water Garden 

N. odorata, sulpJiurea and sulphurea 
grandiflora ■— a hybrid water lily, a cross 
between N. Odorata and the Florida lily, 
iV. fa'va, which is the yellow species. 
The flowers of this lily do not float but 
like the Florida lily stand six or eight 
inches above the water. 

N, odorata Eugenia de Land — A new 
water lily of recent introduction produc- 
ing extra large flowers of the true odo- 
rata type, of an exquisite shade of deep 
rose pink of iridescent hues. Plants 
are very vigorous and free flowering ; 
grand for cutting. 

iV. odorata, Mrs. Roche — Another 
novelty of the odorata type. Vigorous 
and free flowering; flowers standing 
above the water and are distinct and fine; 
the color is deep cerise pink, better de- 




]!\iimphcea odorata, Eugenia de Land, is a new 
hybrid of deep rose pink with iridescent hues 
and exquisitel}" fragrant 



>iii 



Nelumbium ro.^-eum pletium is a double form 
with large, bright rose flowers cultivated as the 
Egyptian lotus 



Plants for the Water Garden 35 
scribed as " Helen pink." This and the 
preceding variety were awarded a Silver 
Medal as distinctive new and meritorious 
varieties at the Newport, R. I. Horticul- 
tural Society, September 14th, 1912. 

"N. tuherosa — A native species of the 
middle western states ; a very strong 
grower and produces enormous large 
white flowers suitable only for large 
ponds and lakes. 

N. tuherosa maxima — The name 
would imply that it was larger than the 
preceding, but a few years ago it was 
considered to belong to the odorata type, 
as it was found growing in the state of 
New Jersey, but it was found to belong 
to the tuberosa class when dug, for the 
rhizomes were found to have many tubers 
thereon. The large white flowers com- 



36 Making a Water Garden 
pare favorably with the European spe- 
cies, N, alba candidissima, 

N. tuberosa rosea is a natural cross, 
not so strong a grower as the type ; flow- 
ers pink. 

N. tuberosa Richardsoni — This is one 
of the very best of the white flowering 
water lilies. The flowers are extra large, 
petals incurving, forming a perfect 
sphere when fully open; six to eight 
inches across. A superb variety. 

N, Helen Fowler — A natural cross 
possessing all the good qualities of the 
species but with the additional good qual- 
ity of having large flowers of a rich rose 
pink color, very fragrant and desirable 
for cut purposes. Certificated by the 
Horticultural Society of New York. 



THE SELECTION OF A SITE 

A S no two gardens are similarly situ- 
ated, no definite instruction can be 
laid down, but a few points applicable in 
all instances may be considered. The 
chief necessity is water, the supply being 
either natural or artificial. It matters 
not if it is a running stream, spring 
water, rain water or from a city supply. 
One of the best sources is a small slug- 
gish stream wending its way through a 
more or less level piece of ground and 
widening out, making a system of pools 
and lakes on a larger scale. The ground 
sloping somewhat toward the stream af- 
fords the best conditions for bog and 
3T 



38 Making a Water Garden 
moisture-loving plants since the water 
and water lilies are always seen from 
above, or looking down upon the flowers. 
No artificial garden where concrete or 
masonry is used can afford such ideal 
spots and margins for such plants as are 
found in nature's garden. The next be_st 
or artificial water garden is similar to 
that just described excepting that the 
water supply is artificial and this is all 
possible, especially where there is a decliv- 
ity of the ground. Ponds naturally are 
in the low spots and tanks; pools or arti- 
ficial ponds should not be built on side hills 
unless graded to make a perfectly level 
surface. Suitable planting should be em- 
ployed here to obliterate the undesirable 
lines when masonry is used. The top of 
the wall should be at least two inches be- 



The Selection of a Site 39 
low the surface of the soil to allow a sod 
of grass or other plants to cover and so 
hide all signs of the masonry. 

The next consideration to water sup- 
ply is the outlet, overflow, etc. In the 
former case provision against a freshet 
should be made, for if such happening oc- 
curred the whole garden would be de- 
stroyed. Where an artificial supply is 
used this will be unlooked for, but the 
pond or pools will need an overflow and 
may need to be drained of the water. 
Just how this is to be accomplished de- 
pends entirely on each particular case. 
In either case the outlet must needs be 
near or directly on the bottom of the 
pond and as circumstances call for. Do 
not have the overflow in the wall but con- 
nected with the outlet. The outlet may 



40 Making a Water Garden 
be regulated with a valve the size of 
which may depend on the volume of water 
to be drawn off. To this should be ad- 
justed a stand pipe in two or more sec- 
tions that will regulate the depth of 
water in the pond. When required full 
the stand pipe should be level with the de- 
sired surface. This will allow any for- 
eign matter and possibly insects to be 
I 
washed off the surface if such exist. The 

supply of water necessary after once 
filled is nominal, requirement only suf- 
ficient to replace what is lost by evapo- 
ration. The depth of the pool when fin- 
ished and ready for planting should be 
two feet. It may be more, but this af- 
fords ample means for an attendant to 
get in amongst the plants without get- 
ting beyond the depth of a pair of ordi- 
nary rubber boots. 



PLANTING AND CARE 

T HAVE called attention to soil and 
boxes for planting, but the matter of 
planting, the selection of varieties is more 
or less perplexing and to select from a 
descriptive catalogue, not knowing the 
varieties, is equally harassing. In con- 
sulting a catalogue one is confronted 
with hardy varieties, tender varieties, day 
and night blooming varieties, nelumbiums 
and Victorias, besides miscellaneous 
plants. 

The hardy varieties are most diverse 
and care must be taken in selection. 
They embrace many shades of color ex- 
cept blue, and extremes in size from the 
41 



42 Making a Water Garden 
pygmea varieties to the gigantic propor- 
tions of the tuherosa class besides ram- 
bling spreading varieties suitable only 
for large ponds or lakes. These should 
be omitted from a list of European and 
hybrid varieties, for if planted in the 
same pond they will outgrow and smother 
the medium and small growers. For 
small and medium sized ponds, omit all 
the odorata and tuberosa forms. These 
are not only strong growers but are seed 
producing plants which greatly adds to 
their prolific propagation, and cuts off 
their flowering season, for invariably 
when a plant carries a crop of seed it 
stops flowering. The hybrid varieties 
do not produce seed and have not a rhi- 
zome or running tuberous root. They 
are however perpetual flowering plants 



Planting and Care 43 

except in very warm sections in midsum- 
mer. 

The tender varieties are entirely dis- 
tinct from the hardy class and are con- 
sidered superior for several reasons. 
There are two classes of these — day 
blooming and night blooming. They 
furnish the best flowers for cutting, they 
are larger than the hardy kinds, they 
grow very rapidly during the summer 
months and continue in flower until cut 
down by frost. The flowers are produced 
on stout stalks often over two feet in 
length and standing well above the sur- 
face of the water, and are extremely 
fragrant and possess all shades of color 
save yellow. There are many shades of 
blue from pale lavender to rich deep pur- 
ple. These plants are of easy culture. 



44 Making a Water Garden 
Planting should be done the latter end of 
May to the end of June. The plants are 
more vigorous than the hardy kinds and 
require more room and plenty of rich soil. 
They can be readily wintered in a <lor- 
mant state. 



WINTERING 

rilHE tender day-blooming nymphseas 
that have flowered out-of-doors dur- 
ing the summer are not very easy to carry 
over winter; the larger the plant the 
more difficult the task. After a cold spell 
and the plants are checked in their 
growth they can be dug up. Cut away 
the matured leaves, then with a sharp 
spade cut around the plant about six 
inches from the crown. This will relieve 
the plant of a great portion of leaves 
and roots. Raise the plant and cut off 
more roots from beneath. Two or three 
plants may be placed close together in a 

tub, planted in. Fill between the plants 
45 



46 Making a Water Garden 
with soil and afterwards fill up with 
water. Place the tub or tubs in a green- 
house or an available light, warm place 
and in a temperature of sixty degrees. 
In this case the plants will rest and not 
die down. It will be useless to attempt 
to dry them off. This treatment is prin- 
cipally for the day blooming tender va- 
rieties. For night blooming nymphseas 
treat as for tender day blooming vari- 
eties with the exception that they have 
different tubers and when the leaves die 
off withhold water and allow them to dry 
and remain so until early spring. To 
winter hardy varieties that have been 
grown in tubs and small artificial ponds, 
sink the tubs in the ground, open a trench 
9 to 12 inches deep and of such length to 
hold six or more tubs. Place a board on 



Wintering 47 

the bottom of the trench to stand the 
tubs upon. Remove the tubs to the 
trench and fill in around the tubs with 
soil to the level and if the soil is higher 
than the tubs on the outside, so much the 
better. If plants are in boxes they can 
be dug up and planted in tubs close to- 
gether and placed in the trench. Fill the 
tubs full with water, and after a few 
frosts and the leaves show evidence of ces- 
sation of growth, cover the tubs with 
boards or such material that they can be 
covered with a good coating of leaves 
which can always be secured in fall. In 
moderate sections such as Philadelphia 
and New York about a foot of leaves, in 
depth, over the tubs with salt hay or fresh 
manure spread lightly on the leaves to 
keep them from blowing away, will keep 



48 Making a Water Garden 
the plants in perfect condition until the 
spring. Jn colder sections the roots can 
be dug up and buried in the ground 
eighteen to twenty-four inches deep in 
sand or sandy soil, covering the surface 
with leaves. They will keep in excellent 
condition in such a storage until spring. 
As to wintering of nelumbiums, they 
must not be dug in the fall. If in tubs 
that can not be left in the water; treat 
as recommended for nymphaeas in tubs. 
If in natural ponds the rhizomes will 
penetrate the soil, even heavy soil, to a 
depth of from two to three feet and with 
two or more feet depth of water it is 
plainly to be seen they are out of danger 
of freezing. If in small artificial ponds 
that will hold water, yet not to any great 
depth, it would be advisable to cover with 



Wintering 49 

boards over same and cover with leaves, 
hay or manure, of course, where snow is 
usually heavy. This covering is un- 
equaled, but then again where nelumbiums 
are grown in a pond that is to be 
drained in winter, a heavier coating of 
leaves should be placed over the bed. 
Where hardy nymphaeas and nelumbiums 
are planted in natural ponds there is no 
need of any protection as usually there 
is sufficient depth of water to prevent the 
plants from freezing. 

Nelumbiums, Egyptian lotus, possess 
an oriental splendor entirely their own. 
Under proper conditions they can be 
readily transplanted and when once es- 
tablished are the most beautiful of 
aquatic flowers, yet many failures are re- 
ported. They are very sensitive to 



50 Making a Water Garden 
changes and when the tubers are sub- 
jected to changes of temperature, they 
often get chilled and are very slow to 
start and if suitable, warm, growing tem- 
perature is not apparent in short season 
the tubers will decay. Transplant in 
warm weather in a natural or artificial 
pond when the soil and water is warm and 
success is certain. The plant when es- 
tablished, forms tubers at the extremities 
of the root stock which penetrate deep 
into the soil as if to protect itself from 
frost. This is done when the ground is 
not too hard and is often two and three 
feet below the water. Where the tubers 
are not so protected they must be other- 
wise protected as they will not stand any 
freezing. V. regia requires a tropical 
temperature to grow it at all satis- 



Wintering '51 

factorily and requires artificial heat 
even out-of-doors in early summer. V. 
TricJceri flowers at an early period and 
will bloom in a ten-inch pot. These 
plants require considerable space — one 
plant would need 300 to 400 square feet 
of water surface and 25 to 100 cubic feet 
of soil. Plants can be grown less satis- 
factorily in smaller spaces, but where 
space can be given better results are ob- 
tained. In growing all kinds of aquatic 
plants do nothing skimpy or halfway and 
the results will far surpass one's expec- 
tation. 



THE END 



FEB 17 1913 



